Downhole intervention and completion drone and methods of use

ABSTRACT

One method includes temporarily sealing and isolating a portion of a wellbore with a reusable sealing and isolation element, performing a fracturing process in the portion of the wellbore that is isolated, and after the fracturing process is complete, unsealing or de-isolating the portion of the wellbore by temporarily changing a configuration of the reusable sealing and isolation element. Use of the reusable sealing and isolation element may reduce, or eliminate, the need for remediation operations, such as the removal of sealing plugs.

BACKGROUND

After a conventional oil and gas well is drilled, cased, and cemented,more work is required and performed in order to bring the well intoproduction. The next step after drilling is completing the well. Thefirst step to completing the well is to hydraulically fracture, inmultiple stages/zones, the lateral portion of the wellbore. Hydraulicfracturing, or simply ‘fracturing’ or ‘frac'ing,’ of the well mayinvolve multiple companies, a large amount of equipment, and personnelon site to perform the fracturing.

For example, companies on site may include an oil companyrepresentative, a wireline company, a frac company, water haulers andservices, a crane company, and downhole tool company. Each of thesecompanies may have its own respective personnel on site as well.Equipment on site may include one or more cranes, one or more wirelinevehicles, several high pressure pump vehicles, sand hoppers for haulingand dumping sand, one or more blending units for blending sand,chemicals, and any other additives needed, a central manifold/missile,one or more data vans, one or more chemical units, and water storagetanks.

Once all of the equipment to perform the frac are on site and rigged upto the well, they will begin the frac process. The process begins byinstalling a plug and perforation gun tool to the wireline. The plug andperforation tool is placed into the well using wireline and then pumpeddown the well with water forcing it to the desired location within thelateral portion of the wellbore. Once to the desired location, wirelinethen sets the plug, detaches from it and pulls up the wellbore to thenext desired location. Once at the next desired location, wireline thensets off the perforation gun tool, normally jet charges, and perforatessmall holes into the side of the wellbore through the casing and cementinto the formation. Once this is completed, wireline will then pull thetool out of the wellbore and the crane will help them set the tool downon the surface. Now that the plug has created a barrier and perforationshave been made for water, sand, and chemical to enter, the frac companywill then begin pumping frac fluids down the wellbore. Once the fracfluid mix build up enough pressure in the wellbore, against the plug,the frac fluid mix will then fracture the formation where theperforations were made. Once a positive fracture has been performed, thefrac company will then slow to a stop on pumping. If necessary, somemixed fluids are then flowed back up the well and out of the wellbore.This is the completion of stage/zone one of the hydraulic frac.Wireline, once it has the perforation gun and plug reset and ready forthe next stage/zone, will then repeat the process to complete stage/zonetwo of the hydraulic frac using the same process as previouslydescribed. They will pump down till they touch the previously set plug,and then pull back up the wellbore to the next desired location and setplug two and perforate stage/zone two, before pulling completely out ofthe wellbore. The hydraulic fracturing process of pumping mixed fracfluids for stage/zone two will then begin once wireline is out of thewellbore. The running of wireline, setting plugs and perforating, andfracturing the wellbore with mixed frac fluids is repeated 10 to 60, ormore, times per every unconventional wellbore. Thus, creating multiplestages/zones per wellbore leaving multiple, 10 to 60 or more plugs leftin the wellbore between and isolating each stage/zone. The plugs canvary in their composition, and may be made of polymers, ceramics, andmetals. The wellbore cannot produce any product of oil, gas, water, etc.until the plugs are removed or remediated according to the design of theplug chosen to be used. Once the frac process of fracturing multiplezones, or to the oil companies desired needs for the well, the fracequipment and all other equipment on site is rigged down and moved offthe well site. It is noted that some oil companies may perform a “zipperfrac,” which refers to the idea that the frac company, and othernecessary companies, will rig up to two wells on the multiple well siteand work simultaneously on each well performing plug, perforate, andfrac. One well frac process can take up to seven or more days toperform. Zipper fracs taking up to seven or more days to perform doingtwo wells.

Now that the frac has been completed successfully and all equipment andpersonnel has left the site, it is now time to remove/drill out, orremediate the existing plugs in the wellbore. This process is performedwith either, or a few different types of equipment.

One of these operations is performed with coiled tubing, a downholedrilling motor, or bit, pumping unit(s), nitrogen unit(s) if needed,water tank(s), crane(s), and coiled tubing personnel. Other personnelwill include the oil company's representative(s) and the downhole toolcompany's representative(s). This process is performed by continuous,one size and one piece, of tubing running in the wellbore with a motor,or bit, attached to the end of the tubing. The motor, or bit, is rotatedfor drilling by pumping fluids through the coiled tubing. Once thecoiled tubing reaches the first plug, it will then begin pumping torotate the motor, or bit, and drill out the plug. Coiled tubing willcontinue throughout the wellbore until it has reached its strength limitor has drilled out every plug left in the well bore. If coiled tubinghas drilled out every existing plug, pumping commences to wash out anyremaining debris potentially left in the wellbore. Once completed withthe drill out process, coiled tubing will then pull out of the wellboreand rig down. This process can take between 24 and 40 hours tocompletely perform on 24 hour operations. The well is now ready toproduce oil, gas, water, etc.

The other process is down with a Hydraulic Workover Rig and stick drillpipe, or tubing. Stick drill pipe, or tubing, is roughly thirty feet inlength and each stick is connected with tongs and a collar for eachstick, or joint of pipe. Equipment on location will include the rig andwater tank(s). Personnel on location will include the Workover Rigpersonnel, oil company representative(s), and the downhole toolcompany's representative(s). This process is done by rigging theworkover rig up to the well head, implementing its Blow Out Preventer onthe well head, and then entering the wellbore. The wellbore is enteredwith the downhole motor, or bit, connected to the first joint of pipe.The workover rig will run in many joints of pipe, having to stop to pickup more pipe and connect the pipe, before completing the drill out ofplugs process. Once the drill pipe has reached the first plug, water isthen pumped down the wellbore to actuate the motor, or bit, and begindrilling out the plug until it is gone. This is down with either adownhole motor, which requires water to rotate the bit, or by a rotarydrive, top or bottom drive, which physically rotates the pipe. Eitherprocess is performed until all the plugs have been drilled out. Oncethey have completed the drill out process, the workover rig will pullout of the wellbore, having to stop to disconnect every joint of pipe,and lay every joint of pipe down on the surface until they have comecompletely out of the wellbore. This process can take up to 72 hours tocompletely perform on 24 hour operations. They will then rig down andleave the well site, or move over to the next adjacent well.

Another process of completing the drill out of plugs process is done bya hydraulic snubbing unit, either stand alone or rig assisted. StandAlone snubbing units can perform the drill out of plugs process on itsown. The Rig Assisted snubbing unit completes this process with theassistance of the Hydraulic Workover Rig, as described in the previousdescription of existing processes. The Stand Alone snubbing unit processwill have the snubbing unit, water tank(s), and a pump(s) on location.

Personnel will include the snubbing unit personnel, oil companyrepresentative(s), and the downhole tool company representative(s). Thesnubbing unit uses hydraulic jack cylinders to snub/force the pipe andmotor, or bit, into the wellbore. The stroke lengths of theses cylinderis up to, or slightly more than, twelve feet. This process is limiteddue to the length of the stroke. Making this a lengthy process. Thesnubbing unit snubs the stick pipe, stops to pick up pipe and makeconnection, and runs the pipe into the wellbore until it reaches thefirst plug.

Once it reaches the first plug, the snubbing unit will either use arotary table to physically rotate the pipe and drill out the plug, orpump water to actuate the motor, or bit, and rotate it to drill out theplug. Once the plug has been drilled out, the snubbing unit willcontinue to run into the wellbore until it drills out all of theexisting plugs. Once the plugs are all drilled out, the snubbing unitwill then begin snubbing the pipe out of the wellbore, disconnecting thejoints of pipe, laying the pipe down on the surface, until it hascompletely come out of the wellbore. The snubbing unit will then rigdown, move off site, or to the adjacent well. This process takes up to96 hours or more to completely perform on 24 hour operations. The RigAssisted snubbing unit performs the same operation as the standaloneunit, only with the assistance of the work over rig.

The other process is done with a fiber optic cable unit, and an attacheddrilling device that is electrically powered. The equipment on site forthis operation is the fiber optic cable unit, pump(s), and a watertank(s). The personnel on location are all cable unit personnel and oilcompany representative(s). This operation is performed by pumping thefiber optic cable down the wellbore with mixed fluids until it reachesthe first plug. Once the first plug is reached the cable communicateselectronically with the electric power drilling device and drills outthe plug. This process of pumping and drilling out plugs is repeateduntil all plugs have been drilled out. Once all of the plugs are drilledout, the unit will pull out of the wellbore, rig down from the well,move off of site, or over to the next adjacent well. This process takesup to 24 to 36 hours to completely perform on 24 hour operations.

All of the described processes take up a minimum of 24 hours or more toperform. All these described processes typically do not take place until15 to 40 days after the well is fractured. Thus, leaving the well in anonproducing state for a significant amount of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to describe the manner in which at least some of the advantagesand features of the invention may be obtained, a more particulardescription of embodiments of the invention will be rendered byreference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in theappended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typicalembodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered tobe limiting of its scope, embodiments of the invention will be describedand explained with additional specificity and detail through the use ofthe accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view that discloses aspects of an example drone.

FIG. 2 discloses aspects of some example modules of a drone.

FIG. 3 discloses aspects of an example module A (RDM—(Retrieval andDeployment Module)).

FIG. 4 discloses aspects of an example module B (Wellbore IsolationElement).

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of an example module B (WellboreIsolation Element).

FIG. 6 discloses an example module B (Wellbore Isolation Element), in acompressed state.

FIG. 7 discloses aspects of an example module C (Hydraulic Slips).

FIG. 8 discloses aspects of an example module C (Hydraulic Slips) in anextended state.

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of an example module C (HydraulicSlips).

FIG. 10 a discloses aspects of some example Radial Positioners

FIG. 10 b discloses aspects of an example module D (Radial Positioners).

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of an example module E (HydraulicPower Unit).

FIG. 12 discloses aspects of an example hydraulic manifold and valveassembly for distributing hydraulic fluid.

FIG. 13 discloses an example module F (Power Packs).

FIG. 14 discloses an example module G (Control)

FIG. 15 discloses aspects of an example of module H (Propulsion Units).

FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view of an example module H (PropulsionUnits).

FIG. 17 is an isometric view of an example module H (Propulsion Units).

FIG. 18 discloses an example of a worm gear configuration in module H(Propulsion Units).

FIGS. 18 a-18 c disclose aspects of joint sections L that may be used toreleasably join modules to each other.

FIG. 19 discloses aspects of an example module J (Module SealedConnectors).

FIG. 20 discloses aspects of example module I (Module Collet LatchConnectors)

FIG. 21 discloses aspects of example power pack modules.

FIGS. 22-24 disclose aspects of an example power pack configuration(Module F).

FIGS. 25-31 disclose aspects of example methods for operation of anexample drone.

FIG. 32 discloses aspects of an example computing entity 1M that may beemployed with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 33 is a section of an example perforation gun.

FIG. 34 is a perspective view of an example perforation gun.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to apparatus,systems, hardware, software, computer-readable media, and methods for adownhole intervention and completion drone, and operation of the drone.

More particularly, some example embodiments of the invention may involvea downhole drone that may operate autonomously, and/orsemi-autonomously, in carrying out any of the functions and operationsdisclosed herein in association with a drone, examples of which include,but are not limited to, downhole fracturing processes, functions, andoperations. Fracturing processes include, but are not limited to,hydraulic fracturing, which may be referred to herein with the shorthandnotation “frac'ing.”

An example drone, which may be referred to herein as a ‘WellIntervention Drone’ (WID), which may also be referred to herein simplyas a ‘drone,’ may have various advantages over conventional single stageplugs or sliding sleeves. In conventional processes, a fracturing stageincludes the setting of a fracturing plug to isolate each stage. Theseplugs remain in place throughout the fracturing process and must beremoved prior to well production. A well intervention drone replaces theneed to remove the fracturing plugs in a post-fracturing operation(s)disclosed herein. Conventional frac plugs and sliding sleeves requirepost-process remediation, such as in the form of drill-out, to beremoved, and dissolvable plugs require specific downhole conditions andare prone to incomplete dissolution and large amounts of debris. Theseconventional processes are costly in terms of time and the requirementfor use of expensive specialized equipment/services. The wellintervention drone may be easily removed during the fracturing process,such as by wireline utilizing a fishing/retrieval tool orself-propulsion out of the well.

Example drones may perform a variety of functions including, but notlimited to, to acting as, and/or implementing, a temporary, andreusable, fracturing plug in a wellbore. That is, in some embodiments, aportion of the drone may serve as a temporary, and reusable, fracturingplug, which may also be referred to herein as a ‘sealing and isolationelement,’ which may, for example, be readily (re)moved, (re)located,and/or (re)deployed to a location, before and/or after a downholeprocess, such as a fracturing process for example, has been completed.An example drone within the scope of this disclosure may be operable toautonomously move itself uphole and downhole in a wellbore, to stop fora period of time at one or more locations within the wellbore, and/or toperform various other operations, examples of which are disclosedherein. The reusable sealing and isolation element may, when deployed,be able to withstand the pressure exerted by frac'ing fluid, and/orother materials, within the wellbore at locations above and/or below thereusable sealing and isolation element, such that little or no fluids orother materials are able to travel past the reusable sealing andisolation element.

Thus, embodiments of the reusable sealing and isolation element are notleft in the wellbore after a fracturing process, and/or otherprocess(es), have been completed. Rather, the reusable sealing andisolation element (i) may be removable, in its entirety, from thewellbore, and (ii) may not necessitate any remediation processes. Thus,embodiments of the invention may obviate the need for remediation andneed not rely on passive processes such as post-placement disintegrationof a fracturing plug. Instead, the wellbore may be completely clear ofunwanted debris upon removal of the reusable sealing and isolationelement.

Any aspect of the movement and/or positioning of the drone, such asdirection, velocity, acceleration (positive or negative), startlocation, end location, intermediate locations, delay in drone movement,stopping drone movement, and non-movement of the drone, may be afunction of the particular operation(s) to be performed, or beingperformed, by the drone.

Any function, process, or operation, performable by, and/or at thedirection of, the drone, may be programmed as instructions that arecarried by non-transitory computer-readable media and are executable byone or more hardware processors, and the hardware processors maycomprise elements of the drone. Likewise, where the drone is operated inother than an autonomous mode, any aspects of the operation of the dronemay be programmed as instructions that are carried by non-transitorycomputer-readable media and are executable by one or more hardwareprocessors, and the hardware processors may comprise elements of thedrone and/or elements of an apparatus remote from the drone.

While reference is made herein to example processes such as fracturing,the scope of the invention is not limited to any particular mining ordownhole process, nor is limited for use with any particular material,or materials, targeted for extraction in connection with processes suchas, but not limited to, fracturing processes. Aspects of exampleembodiments may be employed in other than downhole fracturing processes,and embodiments may find application in other than underground miningprocesses.

Embodiments of the invention, such as the examples disclosed herein, maybe beneficial in a variety of respects. For example, and as will beapparent from the present disclosure, one or more embodiments of theinvention may provide one or more advantageous and unexpected effects,in any combination, some examples of which are set forth below. Itshould be noted that such effects are neither intended, nor should beconstrued, to limit the scope of the claimed invention in any way. Itshould further be noted that nothing herein should be construed asconstituting an essential or indispensable element of any invention orembodiment. Rather, various aspects of the disclosed embodiments may becombined in a variety of ways so as to define yet further embodiments.Such further embodiments are considered as being within the scope ofthis disclosure. As well, none of the embodiments embraced within thescope of this disclosure should be construed as resolving, or beinglimited to the resolution of, any particular problem(s). Nor should anysuch embodiments be construed to implement, or be limited toimplementation of, any particular technical effect(s) or solution(s).Finally, it is not required that any embodiment implement any of theadvantageous and unexpected effects disclosed herein.

In particular, one advantageous aspect of at least some embodiments ofthe invention is that the use of fracturing plugs which requirepost-process remediation may be eliminated. Advantageously,post-remediation processes typically required with conventionalfracturing plugs may be reduced, or eliminated. Advantageously, someembodiments may provide for a reusable sealing and isolation elementthat can be selectively located, and used/reused, at one or morelocations in a wellbore. As another example of an advantageous aspect,embodiments may provide for a reusable sealing and isolation elementwhich may be implemented as an element of, or separately from, a drone.Embodiments of the invention may provide for autonomous deployment andredeployment of a sealing and isolation element, such as a reusablesealing and isolation element.

A. Example Materials and Environments for Some Embodiments

In general, embodiments of the invention, including a drone, may employa variety of different materials for their various components. Suchmaterials may be particularly well suited for use in underground miningand fracking operations where the materials may be exposed, for example,to any combination of high and low temperature extremes, corrosivematerials, fluids, gases, fluid/gas/solids mixtures, high and lowpressures, high noise levels, vibrations, concussions, explosions, shockwaves, dust and other particulates, abrasive materials, flammablematerials, and potentially explosive materials such as dust and gases.Examples of materials, which may be used in any combination, that may beemployed in connection with a drone and its various components mayinclude, but are not limited to, titanium, a family of austeniticnickel-chromium-based superalloys sold under the registered markINCONEL®, steel, copper, brass, aluminum, nickel, tungsten, ceramics,plastics, rubber, and composite materials which may include componentssuch as, for example, carbon and carbon fibers. Any component(s) of thedrone may employ materials that are non-sparking, chemically inert,and/or have other properties compatible with conditions that could beencountered while the drone is deployed. Finally, any suitablemanufacturing process(es) may be used to produce components of the droneand such processes include, but are not limited to, welding, brazing,milling, turning, boring, casting, molding, three dimensional (3D)printing/additive manufacturing, shaping, and cutting.

B. Aspects of Some Example Embodiments

As disclosed herein, embodiments of a drone may comprise a variety ofdifferent combinations of different functional modules which may bereleasably be connected to each other. In general, the drone may beconfigured to suit whatever processes are to be performed by the drone.Due to its modular construction, embodiments of the drone can be readilyconfigured and re-configured in the field as needed. In addition to itsphysical reconfiguration, the drone may also be configured to enableprogramming changes, such as relating to functions to be performed bythe drone, to be made on the surface at the time of configuration and/orwhen the drone is in situ in the wellbore. Programming changes, whetherimplemented when the drone is on the surface or in situ, may beimplemented by a hardwire (such as wireline), optical (such as fiberoptic), and/or wireless connection between a user interface (UI) and thedrone. The physical and programmatic flexibility of the drone may enableit to be quickly and easily adapted to whatever configuration/functionmay be required. It is noted that while example embodiments disclosedherein may refer to a particular order of modules in the drone, thescope of the invention is not limited to any particular order, orcombination, of modules in a drone.

As well, in order to simplify field assembly, a device datacommunications method may be employed that counts the number of sectionsfrom the Controller section and use that to address the devices in eachsection. The sections will identify themselves to the controller whenthe controller comes online. In this way, the technician may be able tosimply plug and fasten the sections together in the desired order andthe sections will report into the controller which, in turn, will reportto the User Interface (UI) the individual serial numbers and softwarerevisions for each module or section. The user may set the missionparameters—number of stages, stage locations and distances, end of stageconditions—as needed. Thus, embodiments of the drone may operate basedon data communications distributed control or by way of individuallyhardwiring the control devices.

With general reference to aspects of the operation of embodiments of thedrone, sensors, and other devices, within the drone may collect, but notlimited to, temperature and pressure data pre-frac, during the frac, andpost-frac. Pre-frac, the drone may collect pressure and temperaturedifferential data from each side of the sealing and isolation element.In other words, as the drone is set, and the seal is isolating analready frac'd stage from a stage that is about to be frac'd, there is adifferential in pressure and temperature. The drone captures that dataand stores it. So, the pre-frac is before the stage is perforated andfrac'd. Temperature and pressure will change during perforation andduring the frac. When the sealing and isolation element is not engaged,the drone also captures and stores the temperature and pressure data.That data may be collected uphole and downhole of the WIE (WellboreIsolation Element) while the sealing and isolation element is engaged ordisengaged. During the frac, the WIE will engage the sealing andisolation element, sealing and isolating the wellbore, and the drone maycollect data uphole and downhole of the sealing and isolation element.After the stage is frac'd in the wellbore, post-frac, the drone maycollect data uphole and downhole of the sealing and isolation elementwhile the WIE is engaged. Data may be collected as the drone propelsfrom stage to stage in the wellbore, or from stage to next predeterminedor preprogrammed location. All data collected by the drone may be storedwithin the drone, or transmitted to other tools, and devices, downholeor to equipment and other devices on the surface.

With reference first to FIG. 1 , details are provided concerning anexample embodiment of a Well Intervention Drone (WID). The example droneis generally denoted at 100, and may comprise a body or frame thatsupports and/or comprises various components and modules. The drone 100may operate autonomously, semi-autonomously, and/or may be remotelycontrolled. In some embodiments, the drone 100 may be operable in any ofthe aforementioned modes. The example drone 100 may operate inconnection with various other equipment and systems which may be locateddownhole in a wellbore and/or at or above the surface of the earth.

As used herein, autonomous operation embraces drone-based operation andcontrol of the drone independent of any control signals from otherentities, although even when operating autonomously, the drone maynonetheless communicate with one or more other entities. Semi-autonomousoperation embraces an operational mode in which some operations of thedrone are controlled by the drone independent of control signals fromother entities, and other operations of the drone are performed based oncontrol signals received from other entities. Remote control embraces anoperational mode in which all operations of the drone are controlledremotely, such as through the use of a control interface at a surfacelocation, for example. The control interface may be operated by a humanoperator and connected to the drone in such a way that the humanoperator can send control signals to, and receive feedback signals from,the drone.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the drone 100 may comprise various modules, eachwith associated functionality. These modules may include a Retrieval andDeployment Module (RDM) (Module A), Wellbore Isolation Element (WIE)(Module B), hydraulic slips (Module C), Radial Positioners (Module D),hydraulic power unit (HPU) (Module E), power pack (Module F) andcontrols (Module G) as well as one or more propulsion units (Module H)for vertical and lateral movement in the wellbore, and one or moremodule connectors (Module I and J). Any of the aforementioned componentsof the example drone 100 may be modular in form so that they may beserviced/replaced independent of each other for fast onsite maintenanceand assessment. The modular components may also allow for readyconfiguration/reconfiguration, in the field for example, of drone 100elements based on job-specific requirements and/or conditions withinand/or outside of a wellbore. As such, the modules may includequick-connect/disconnect connections for mechanical elements, and forelectrical/electronic elements.

Referring next to FIG. 3 , the RDM (Module A) is on the up-hole end ofthe drone 100. This RDM (Module A) may be used to create a hard physicalconnection between the drone 100 and other tools (not shown) tethered tothe surface. Examples of these connections will include but are notlimited to connection to the perforating gun when originally placing thedrone and with wireline when retrieving the drone. In addition totethering to the surface, the RDM is outfitted with a load sensor(s) 1A,strain sensor(s) 2A, pressure sensor(s) 3A, temperature sensor(s) 4A,resonant inductive link 5A for receiving and transmitting data andwireless charging of batteries when the drone 100 is positioned in thewellbore, or elsewhere, and a connector for connecting theaforementioned elements to the rest of the drone 100. The pressuresensor(s) 3A may measure and record the pressure in the wellbore at anylocation including but not limited to in front of the WIE before, duringand after the frac'ing process. The pressure sensor(s) 3A may alsodetect a rapid and brief pressure change such as rapid pressure changesduring the frac'ing process and/or a pressure pulse initiated at thesurface that can be used to communicate, control and/or command thedrone 100 to perform specific actions. The temperature sensors (4A) maymeasure and record temperatures in the wellbore at any locationincluding but not limited to in front of the WIE before, during andafter the frac'ing process. This pressure and temperature information isthen sent to the control unit for storage and subsequent transmissionfor evaluation. The load sensor(s) 1A may determine that the drone 100is in contact with a perforating gun or other tools and devices (notshown) between stages for verification of correct operation. Finally,the strain sensor(s) 2A may be used with a fishing retrieval system orother tools and devices (not shown) to alert the drone 100 to retractthe hydraulic slips (Module C), propulsion units (Module H), and WIE(Module B) using an emergency reserve power supply (not shown) prior toretrieval, such as in a rescue situation or, but not limited to, incompletion of the frac'ing process, completion of the well and orrequired operation.

Downhole from the RDM (Module A) is the WIE (Module B) as shown in FIG.4 and FIG. 5 . The multi-use WIE (Module B) may include a sealing andisolation element 1B, seal piston 2B, seal compression rod 3B, sealingelement clamp 4B, as well as various rubber seals. Depending upon theembodiment, the sealing and isolation element 1B may be constructed witha variety of different materials suitable for use in the exampleoperating environments disclosed herein. Such materials may include, butare not limited to, operationally suitable polymers such as silicone,HNBRs, EPDM, FKM, and chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) syntheticrubbers (CSM) sold under the mark Hypalon®, and embodiments of thesealing and isolation element 1B may be embedded with studs and/or othergripping elements, which may be made of metal, ceramic, and/or, othersuitable materials.

It is noted that while example embodiments of a WIE (Module B) and atemporary reusable sealing and isolation element are disclosed herein,those disclosures are provided by way of illustration and are notintended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. More generally,any other systems, devices, and mechanisms that may be deployed by,and/or as part of, a drone and that are operable to temporarily plug,seal, and/or isolate, sections within a wellbore without requiring anypost-remediation work, may be employed and are considered to be withinthe scope of this disclosure. Moreover, the example WIE (Module B)disclosed herein, as well as the temporary reusable sealing andisolation element, are examples of a structural implementation of ameans for temporarily sealing and isolating sections within a wellbore.One or more of such means may be implemented without requiringpost-remediation of a sealing and isolation element.

In operation, the multi-use WIE (Module B) may be axially compressed sothat it expands radially to seal off and isolate the wellbore stages asshown by item 5B in FIG. 6 . This operation of the multi-use WIE (ModuleB) may be implemented during a process such as hydraulic fracturing sothat the fracturing fluid, which may comprise a mixture of water,chemicals, and sand for example, cannot flow past the WIE (Module B) ofthe drone 100. That is, the multi-use WIE (Module B) may be operated soas to temporarily seal and isolate a portion of the wellbore. Themulti-use WIE (Module B) may be located on the seal compression rod 3B,reaching from the seal piston 2B, and connected to the RDM (Module A). Acontrol signal from the control unit may activate the HPU (Module E) toactuate the seal piston 2B, moving the seal compression rod 3B, pullingthe RDM (Module A) towards the seal piston 2B thereby compressing themulti-use WIE (Module B) between the seal piston 2B and the RDM (ModuleA) until the sealing and isolation element 1B contacts the well casingwith sufficient force to maintain a seal during, but not limited to,hydraulic fracturing. In addition to providing compression and seatingfor the sealing and isolation element, the seal compression rod 3B mayhave a center bore through its length allowing for installation ofwiring for sensors on the RDM (Module A) to pass through to the controlunit. Along with providing sealing, the contact between the multi-useWIE (Module B) and the wellbore casing comprises a portion of theforces. That is, when the WIE engages the sealing and isolation elementand the sealing and isolation element compresses and conforms into theID of the casing, the WIE shares and takes some of the load when thefrac is taking place. When the frac is taking place, the pressureincreases the load on the front uphole section of the drone. So, the WIEshares some of that load when it is engaged, and that load may help tolock the drone 100 in position.

The hydraulic slip module (Module C) may be operable to lock the drone100 in position, as shown in FIG. 7 , FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 . The hydraulicslip module (Module C) may comprise hydraulic slip piston(s)/die(s) 1C,hydraulic slip cylinder housings 2C, hydraulic slip cylinder caps 3C,along with various seals (not shown) including, but not limited to,hydraulic slip cylinder seal(s), and hydraulic slip piston/die seal(s).The hydraulic slip piston/die seal(s) may be disposed about thehydraulic slip piston/die(s) 1C and may serve to prevent leakage ofhydraulic fluid and prevent contaminates from entering the assembly. Thehydraulic slip module (Module C) may be connected to the hydraulic powerunit (HPU) (Module E) by way of one or more hydraulic line connections4C that may supply the hydraulic slip cylinder housings (2C) withhydraulic fluid to actuate the slip piston/die(s) 1C.

The number of hydraulic slip piston/die(s) 1C may becustomized/configured and optimized based on job-specific requirements.The hydraulic slip piston(s)/die(s) 1C may be elliptical in shape tomaintain the hydraulic slip piston orientation relative to the directionof force applied during hydraulic fracturing to maintain position of thedrone 100 at a desired location within the wellbore. These hydraulicslip piston(s)/die(s) 1C may serve to limit the shear force on themulti-use WIE (Module B) to maximize the number of sealing cyclesachievable by the multi-use WIE (Module B). The head of the hydraulicslip piston(s)/die(s) 1C may be tapered and knurled to maximize holdingforce when axial pressure is applied to the drone 100. The hydraulicslip piston(s) may be removable during servicing to enable replacementof the hydraulic slip piston(s)/die(s) 1C as well as replacement of thecorresponding seal(s) as needed. As well, the hydraulic slippiston(s)/die(s) 1C may help to secure the drone 100 in a desiredposition in the wellbore, such as by extending into contact with thecasing. As illustrated in FIG. 8 the slip piston(s)/die(s) are in theirextended state.

In FIG. 10 a , Radial Positioners comprising one or more positioningwheels 1D-1 and wheel lever arms 2D-1 may serve to radially position thedrone 100 in the wellbore (not shown). The positioning wheels 1D-1 maybe equally spaced around the radius of the drone 100, although suchspacing is not necessarily required. Each of the positioning wheels 1D-1may be extended, and retracted, by a corresponding wheel lever arm 2D-1.These operations may be implemented, for example, by way of a centeredlinear actuator (not shown) which may press the positioning wheels 1D-1radially outward into contact with the casing with a predeterminedforce, and the linear actuator may also impart some axial motion to thepositioning wheels 1D-1 so that the positioning wheels 1D-1 are movedboth radially and axially by the corresponding wheel lever arm 2D-1. Thelinear actuator may activate through electrical and/or mechanicalmechanisms, such as a hydraulic system for example. As such, the RadialPositioners may serve to center the drone 100 within the wellbore, suchthat a longitudinal axis of the drone 100 is generally collinear with acentral axis defined by the casing in the wellbore, and may also help toreduce friction/drag between the drone 100 and the casing in thewellbore. As well, the positioning wheels 1D-1 may comprise one or moreencoders or resolvers, similar to an odometer for example, that may beused to determine the distance that the drone 100 has traveled in thewellbore.

As illustrated in FIG. 10 b , Radial Positioners may be comprised of oneor more free idling wheels (1D). These idling wheels may be comprised ofone or more bearings mounted in the center hub of each wheel with arotary shaft (2D) installed through the center. The rotary shaft (2D)may act as an axel and may be mounted to the wheel axel frames (3D).These wheel axel frames (3D) may be installed onto the cylindricalbody/housing (4D) through a variety manufacturing and fabricationprocesses. The cylindrical body/housing (4D) may have a through way (5D)for routing through the module. As such, the Radial Positioners mayserve to center the drone 100 within the wellbore, such that alongitudinal axis of the drone 100 is generally collinear with a centralaxis defined by the casing in the wellbore, and may also help to reducefriction/drag between the drone 100 and the casing in the wellbore. Aswell, the positioning wheels 1D may comprise one or more encoders orresolvers, similar to an odometer for example, that may be used todetermine the distance that the drone 100 has traveled in the wellbore.

The HPU (Module E) may be operable to distribute hydraulic fluid to thehydraulic slip piston(s)/die(s) 1C, the positioning wheels 1D,propulsion unit linear actuator(s) 8H, and the multi-use WIE (Module B),as shown in FIG. 11 . The HPU (Module E) may include the followingcomponents: the hydraulic manifold and valve assembly 1E, the hydraulicmicropump 2E, the pump motor 3E, and the hydraulic fluid reservoir 4E,pass through route 5E, and a pressure rated electrical connector 6E.FIG. 12 illustrates an example manifold and valve assembly. The valvesin the manifold and valve assembly may be electric over hydraulicsolenoid controlled directional control valves. The valves, orsolenoids, control the direction of hydraulic flow through the manifoldby opening and closing pathways, or changing the direction of flow. Thesolenoids are operated by an electric coil that is coiled around itscenter core. The manifold may be a machined, or 3D printed, block offlow paths that act as the hydraulic circuit board and houses thesolenoids/valves. This assembly is what manages the distribution ofhydraulic fluid throughout drone 100. This assembly may be comprised ofa hydraulic fluid inlet(s) (7E), pressure rated valve(s) (8E), hydraulicoutlet port(s) (9E), and hydraulic return port(s) (10E). The HPU (ModuleE) may also comprise various other components including, but not limitedto, a filter, multiple valves, pressure gauges, a shutoff valve, apressure release valve, and a power source such as an electric motor topower the hydraulic micropump 2E.

In operation, a microcontroller 3G (see FIG. 14 ) may control theoperation of the HPU (Module E). For example, the microcontroller maystart an electric motor which, in turn, may drive the hydraulicmicropump 2E which cycles hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic fluidreservoir 4E through a filter to a pump inlet of the hydraulic micropump2E. The fluid is then pumped out of the hydraulic micropump 2E throughan outlet and manifold and valve assembly. As well, the microcontrollermay also open the desired valve of the manifold and valve assembly 1E toallow hydraulic fluid to pass through to the desired hydraulic line. Ifat any point during HPU (Module E) operation, a predetermined hydraulicfluid pressure limit is reached, a pressure relief valve may open,thereby relieving the excess pressure, and providing and maintainingsafe operating conditions for the system.

In general, the microcontrollers disclosed herein, which may take theform of processors, may be connected to semiconductor switches, by wayof which the microcontrollers may control the operation of any of thedisclosed components. Such components include for example, pumps,valves, motors, sensors and other devices, which may be electricaldevices.

With reference now to FIG. 13 , the power pack (Module F) may comprise aseries of high temperature rated batteries 3F that can be either singleduty or rechargeable. The batteries may be assembled into multiple packswhich can then be interconnected and encased inside a chassis (2F and4F) for support and cable management. These battery packs may beseparated by spacers (5F) that compartmentalize each battery pack. Thechassis may then be mounted inside a sealed housing (1F) or module.Multiple housings or modules may be interconnected to increaseoperational life of the drone 100 in the wellbore as needed. The hightemperature, that is about 100C or higher, rated batteries 3F power thedrone 100, providing power to the motors (for example 3E and 1H),sensors (for example, the load sensor(s) 1A, strain sensor(s) 2A,pressure sensor(s) 3A, and temperature sensor(s) 4A), and themicrocontrollers 3G. Due to the relative length of power packs (ModuleF), there may be articulation points provided in the series thatconnects each power pack to allow for flexibility that may better enablethe drone 100 to navigate bends and turns within the wellbore.

With reference to FIG. 14 , the control module (Module G) consisting ofone or more microcontrollers 3G. The microcontroller 3G may performvarious functions, including controlling the operation of the drone 100.In more detail, the microcontroller 3G may be operable to performfunctions including, but not limited to, data logging, processing, andexecuting commands based on sensor information, controlling thehydraulics (for example, the hydraulic micromotor 3E and manifold 1E),as well as controlling the propulsion of the drone 100.

Data transmission between the drone 100 and equipment on the surface maybe poor, or non-existent in some circumstances while the drone 100 isdownhole in the wellbore. Thus, there are forms of data transmissionincluding, but not limited to, downhole data transmission between thedrone 100 and another tool, or other device(s), that may be tethered orconnected to equipment at the surface that may be but not limited towireline, e-line, fiber-optic or other equipment. This data transmissionmay occur between the drone 100 and these other devices by means ofclose proximity resonance. Or, upon removal of the drone 100 from thewellbore, the control module (Module G) may be accessed to recover data,wellbore activity and diagnostic logs, but not limited to, with thepurpose of more accurately understanding the details of conditions andthe tasks performed downhole. This data transmission may occur througheither physical hardline connection, Bluetooth or WiFi. The data maythen be uploaded to a host either locally or cloud based for furtherprocessing and analysis.

The Propulsion Units (Module H) may be utilized to propel the drone 100,forward or backwards, in the wellbore and one example of the PropulsionUnits (Module H) is disclosed in FIG. 15 , FIG. 16 , FIG. 17 , and FIG.18 . The motor 1H may be positioned between an upper casing 2H and alower casing 3H. The motor 1H may be connected to a gear box 4H that mayinclude gears 5H or as illustrated in FIG. 18 with a worm drive 11H andworm gear 10H which transfer power from the motor 1H to the drive wheels6H. The motor casing 2H/3H may extend out from the drone 100 body sothat the wheels 6H contact the inner surface of the casing in thewellbore. The extension of the motor casing 2H/3H may be performed, forexample, by way of a link 7H and a linear actuator 8H. Particularly,extension and retraction of the linear actuator 8H may cause acorresponding movement of the link 7H, to which the linear actuator 8Hand motor casing 2H/3H are connected, so that the motor casing 2H/3H isextended/retracted.

The example Propulsion Units (Module H) may comprise a through route 9H,such as a passageway, for elements such as cables (which may be but notlimited to wires, hydraulic lines, or optical fibers) for communication,control, and/or other functions, to pass through the Propulsion Units(Module H). Operationally, the drone 100 may be pumped down the well,with fluid for example, with the Propulsion Units (Module H) retractedso that the Propulsion Units (Module H) do not contact the inner surfaceof the wellbore casing. Alternatively, the drone 100 may propel itselfthrough the wellbore to a pre-determined location or depth in thewellbore. Prior to self propulsion through the wellbore, the linearactuator 8H may extend the motor casing 2H/3H outside of the drone 100body so that the motor casing 2H/3H, particularly the drive wheels 6H,is in contact with the inner surface of the casing of the wellbore. Thisactuation may be completed through electrical or hydraulic means. Onceextension of the motor casing 2H/3H has been completed, the drone 100may be able to propel itself back and forth along the inside of thecasing in the wellbore. After the drone 100 reaches a desired positionin the casing in the wellbore, the motor casing 2H/3H may be retracted.

While the example Propulsion Units (Module H) may comprise a propulsionsystem that uses a power source connected to one or more drive wheels,the scope of the invention is not limited to this particularimplementation of a propulsion system. Alternative propulsion systemsmay comprise, for example, water jet propulsion, compressed gaspropulsion, one or more walking feet, or a caterpillar or inch-wormingdrive system. Where walking feet are employed, the propulsion system mayinvolve the use of hydraulic or electrical inch worming by use of alinear actuator throughout the lateral section of the well. The dronemay include a water jet, such as a pump for example, that can use fluidalready in the wellbore for propulsion by sucking in the fluid and thenexpelling the fluid from the water jet to propel the drone.

With reference next to FIGS. 18 a-18 c , details are provided concerningfurther aspects of some example radial positioners. In some embodiments,a joining section L1, which may be employed in pairs, may have a twobolt configuration so that the pair of joining sections L1 collectivelyform an articulating joint whose portions, or joining sections L1, eachare able to turn about 90 degrees relative to the other joining sectionL1. This example configuration may result in the positioning of twoidler wheels L2 at each joint, which are able to center each section.One or both of the idler wheels L2 may be configured with a rotaryoptical encoder, or other device of comparable functionality, todetermine the WID position in the well casing.

As shown in FIGS. 18 a-18 c , the joint sections L1 may enable the idlerwheels L2 to be mounted in two positions, such as at the up hole end ofthe drone or the down hole end of the drone. The idler wheel L2 may bespring loaded L3, or otherwise biased, to keep the drone centered in thecasing. The center of the joint formed by the joint sections L1 mayconfigured with a passageway to accommodate a cable connector for thepower, instruments and data communications. When assembling the drone onsite, the joint sections L1 may be joined by the two bolts, or otherfasteners, and the electrical connection, simplifying assembly anddisassembly of the drone.

With reference next to FIG. 19 and FIG. 20 , one or more ModuleConnectors (Module I and J) may be provided that may be used to connectthe drone 100 to other equipment, and/or may be used to interconnectvarious sections and modules of the drone 100. FIG. 19 illustrates anexample of module sealed connectors (module J). These connectors mayinclude a male body (1J), a threaded coupler (2J), and a female body(3J). The module sealed connectors allow for sealing between the malebody (1J) and the female body (3J). The threaded coupler (2J) may comein two halves and be fastened together to sit on the male body (1J).FIG. 20 illustrates an example of module collet latch connectors (ModuleI). These connectors may include a female collet body (1I), colletlocking sleeve (2I), and a male collet body (3I). The module colletlatch connectors are assembled with the collet locking sleeve (2I) onthe male collet body (3I). The male collet body (31) is inserted in thefemale collet body (11) until it locks into position. Once the colletbodies are locked into position, the collet locking sleeve (2I) may bemoved forward and rotated to ensure secure coupling. Once rotated intoposition the collet locking sleeve may be held in position with setscrews. The module collet latch connectors may allow for someflexibility allowing drone 100 to have minor bending between modules. Insome embodiments, one or more of the Module Connectors (Module I and J)may take the form of quick connect/disconnection connectors. Noparticular type of connection or coupling is required however.

Turning next to FIGS. 21-24 , some example power pack modules (Module F)and configurations are disclosed that may be employed in a drone, suchas the example drone 100. As noted elsewhere herein, various componentsof a drone may be powered by one or more power packs (Module F),although other types of energy sources may alternatively be employed.

The battery, or batteries, contained in the power pack (Module F)employed in a drone need not be of any particular type. Batteries usedin embodiments of the invention may be rechargeable. Examplerechargeable batteries that may be used in some embodiments include, butare not limited to, nickel-cadmium (Ni—Cd), nickel metal hydride(Ni—MH), lithium-ion (Li-Ion), and lithium polymer (Li—Po). Examples ofnon-rechargeable batteries that may be employed in some embodimentsinclude, but are not limited to, alkaline batteries, lithium batteries,carbon-zinc batteries, and batteries with manganese-based cathodematerials. In at least some embodiments, the batteries employed in adrone do not generate gases or other materials that may potentially beexplosive, toxic, or hazardous. In some embodiments, the batteries maybe recharged wirelessly and remotely, even while the drone is locateddownhole. In one example embodiment, a drone docking station may beprovided that includes a transformed configured to use close proximityresonant charging, and/or any other type of wireless charging, torecharge the batteries. One or more drone docking stations may beprovided down hole and/or on the surface.

As with the other modules disclosed herein, a power pack (Module F) maybe located at any suitable position in the length of the drone. In someexample embodiments, the power pack (Module F) and control (Module G)may be located on the uphole end of the string, that is, the string ofmodules that make up the drone. Other arrangements may be employedhowever, and this arrangement of the power pack (Module F) is presentedby way of example and is not intended to limit the scope of theinvention in any way.

FIG. 21 , in particular, discloses a block diagram of an example powerpack (Module F). As shown, a power pack (Module F) controller may beprovided that is configured to transmit and receive various types ofsignals, including control signals and reporting signals. For example,the power pack (Module F) controller may receive, and pass along,signals from sensors, such as temperature sensors, voltage sensors, andoutput current sensors, indicating various operating parameters of oneor more batteries. In the example of FIG. 21 , one or more batteries maybe connected, in series for example, to a battery bus. Other embodimentsmay employ a parallel arrangement of batteries. Various other aspects ofthe example of FIG. 21 are referred to in the following ‘Design Notes’:

1—Power Pack Modules are connected end to end (in parallel) with boltedconnectors to meet load and capacity needs for each well.

2—Communication addresses are arbitrated using an additive pulse schemeon the CommAddrin/Out lines.

3—Cells are temperature monitored in groups of three.

4—Controller should disconnect the bank from the bus if there is an overtemperature or over current condition.

5—Power Pack is voltage and current monitored.

6—Bus is voltage and current monitored.

7—Controller tracks cell bank usage.

8—Controller is powered (diode protected) from both Battery Bus andModule Bank.

9—Communication TBD (12C or similar).

FIGS. 22 and 23 disclose aspects of example power packs (Module F) andmechanisms for connecting one power pack (Module F) to another powerpack (Module F). As shown, each of the power pack (Module F) may belocated within a respective sealed power packs (Module F) casing. Ingeneral, the power packs (Module F) may be connected in such a way as toenable electrical communication between the power packs (Module F),while also preventing or minimizing the ingress of any foreignmaterial(s) that could compromise, or defeat, the operation of the powerpacks (Module F), and while providing a power packs (Module F)connection suited to withstand the rigors of mining operations andenvironments. Further details concerning aspects of one particularexample mechanism for connecting power packs (Module F) are disclosed inFIGS. 22 and 23 .

As shown in FIGS. 22-24 , multiple power packs (Module F) may beconnected together. In some embodiments, and end-to-end connectionarrangement may be employed in which two or more power packs (Module F)are connected end-to-end. This arrangement is provided by way of examplehowever, and the scope of the invention is not limited to this type ofarrangement. In one alternative arrangement, power packs (Module F) maybe connected together and arranged side-by-side in a clusterarrangement.

C. Example Methods

Attention is directed now to FIGS. 25-31 , which disclose variousexample methods concerning the operation of a drone, such as the drone100 for example. As to such methods, and any of the other disclosedprocesses, operations, methods, and/or any portion of any of these, itis noted that such may be performed in response to, as a result of,and/or, based upon, the performance of any preceding process(es),methods, and/or, operations. Correspondingly, performance of one or moreprocesses, for example, may be a predicate or trigger to subsequentperformance of one or more additional processes, operations, and/ormethods. Thus, for example, the various processes that may make up amethod may be linked together or otherwise associated with each other byway of relations such as the examples just noted. In some embodiments,the order of the disclosed processes of a method may be changed, and/orone or more processes of one or more of the methods may be omitted.Thus, the methods disclosed in FIGS. 25-31 are provided only by way ofexample, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in anyway.

Turning first to FIG. 25 , an example method is disclosed that concernsvarious processes that may be performed subsequent to a drone entering astand-by mode. The processes referred to in FIG. 25 are set forth infurther detail in FIGS. 26-31 .

With particular reference to FIG. 25 , an example stand-by mode of adrone is disclosed. In general, the stand-by mode may be entered,automatically in some embodiments, upon satisfaction of one or morespecified conditions, and the stand-by mode may likewise be exited, anda different mode entered by the drone, or the drone shut down,automatically in some embodiments, upon satisfaction of one or morespecified conditions. While in the stand-by mode, the drone, or a remoteoperator, may modify one or more configuration parameters of the drone.For example, if the drone is in a stand-by mode, the drone may enter alow power state in which all non-essential systems of the drone may beshut down to conserve battery power. Modification of such configurationparameters may be performed automatically when the drone enters thestand-by mode.

With continued attention to FIG. 25 , and turning to FIG. 26 as well, itwas noted elsewhere herein that the drone may implement and/or comprisea temporary, reusable, sealing and isolation element in a wellbore.After the associated processes are completed, it may be desired to movethe drone to another location in the wellbore to implement a temporary,reusable, sealing and isolation element in that location. One example ofa method, denoted generally at ‘Move to Next Stage’ for relocating thedrone is referred to in FIG. 25 , and detailed in FIG. 26 . As shown inFIG. 26 , once the drone is configured such that it has been deployed asa temporary, reusable, sealing and isolation element, the drone may thengo into the stand-by mode. During this time that the drone is instand-by mode, fracturing processes and/or other processes may beperformed uphole of the WIE (Module B) of the drone.

As shown in FIG. 27 , an initial placement method is disclosed in whicha drone is deployed as a temporary, reusable, sealing and isolationelement. Once the drone is so positioned and configured, the drone mayenter the stand-by mode.

In FIG. 28 , a method is disclosed for configuring and handling of adrone after a last stage of a process, such as a fracturing process, hasbeen completed. Once the drone is so positioned and configured, thedrone may enter the stand-by mode.

With regard now to FIG. 29 , an ultimate time out method is disclosed inwhich, after a drone has been deployed as a temporary, reusable, sealingand isolation element in the wellbore, the drone is re-configured formovement in the wellbore to another location. Upon completion of thereconfiguration, the drone may enter the stand-by mode.

In FIG. 30 , aspects of some example methods are disclosed forcommunicating with, and/or controlling, a drone. Any one or more of thefollowing ‘Notes’ may apply to some embodiments, but may not apply toother embodiments, and are not intended to be limiting of the scope ofthe invention in any way. Notes on Comms:

-   1—Down hole communications are very limited without wire or fiber.-   2—Acoustic range is limited to a few hundred feet.-   3—Radio frequencies are very limited also.-   4—The lower the frequency the longer the range.-   5—Lower frequencies result in lower data rates.-   6—Since wire or fiber occupy the same casing space as working tools    you can only have the wire or the working tool, not both.-   7—This communication scheme is based on a short range (less than 250    ft) and DTMF acoustic data transmission. (like Touch Tone phones)-   8—Data rates would be 100 baud or less.-   9—This is optional and is not required for the WID basic operation.

FIG. 31 discloses an example method for configuration and operation of adrone in the event that a screen, or screen-out, condition is detected.This condition may be detected by sensors of the drone and/or by othersensors that are able to communicate directly or indirectly with thedrone. As used herein, a screen-out condition refers to a condition inwhich further injection of fluid, such as a fracturing mixture, wouldexceed permissible pressures of the wellbore and/or associatedequipment. Where a screen-out condition is detected, the drone mayautonomously be temporarily relocated, such as with the method disclosedin FIG. 31 .

D. Example Computing Devices and Associated Media

The embodiments disclosed herein may include the use of a specialpurpose or general-purpose computer, as shown in the example computingdevice 1M of FIG. 32 , including various computer hardware or softwaremodules, as discussed in greater detail below. A computer may include aprocessor and computer storage media carrying instructions that, whenexecuted by the processor and/or caused to be executed by the processor,perform any one or more of the methods disclosed herein, or any part(s)of any method disclosed.

As indicated above, embodiments within the scope of the presentinvention also include computer storage media, which are physical mediafor carrying or having computer-executable instructions or datastructures stored thereon. Such computer storage media may be anyavailable physical media that may be accessed by a general purpose orspecial purpose computer.

By way of example, and not limitation, such computer storage media maycomprise hardware storage such as solid state disk/device (SSD), RAM,ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, flash memory, phase-change memory (“PCM”), or otheroptical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storagedevices, or any other hardware storage devices which may be used tostore program code in the form of computer-executable instructions ordata structures, which may be accessed and executed by a general-purposeor special-purpose computer system to implement the disclosedfunctionality of the invention. Combinations of the above should also beincluded within the scope of computer storage media. Such media are alsoexamples of non-transitory storage media, and non-transitory storagemedia also embraces cloud-based storage systems and structures, althoughthe scope of the invention is not limited to these examples ofnon-transitory storage media.

Computer-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions anddata which, when executed, cause a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or special purpose processing device to perform acertain function or group of functions. As such, some embodiments of theinvention may be downloadable to one or more systems or devices, forexample, from a website, mesh topology, or other source. As well, thescope of the invention embraces any hardware system or device thatcomprises an instance of an application that comprises the disclosedexecutable instructions.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter defined in the appended claims is notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above.Rather, the specific features and acts disclosed herein are disclosed asexample forms of implementing the claims.

As used herein, the term ‘module’ or ‘component’ may refer to softwareobjects or routines that execute on the computing system. The differentcomponents, modules, engines, and services described herein may beimplemented as objects or processes that execute on the computingsystem, for example, as separate threads. While the system and methodsdescribed herein may be implemented in software, implementations inhardware or a combination of software and hardware are also possible andcontemplated. In the present disclosure, a ‘computing entity’ may be anycomputing system as previously defined herein, or any module orcombination of modules running on a computing system.

In at least some instances, a hardware processor is provided that isoperable to carry out executable instructions for performing a method orprocess, such as the methods and processes disclosed herein. Thehardware processor may or may not comprise an element of other hardware,such as the computing devices and systems disclosed herein.

In terms of computing environments, embodiments of the invention may beperformed in client-server environments, whether network or localenvironments, or in any other suitable environment. Suitable operatingenvironments for at least some embodiments of the invention includecloud computing environments where one or more of a client, server, orother machine may reside and operate in a cloud environment.

With reference briefly now to FIG. 32 , any one or more of the entitiesdisclosed, or implied, by FIGS. 1-31 and/or elsewhere herein, may takethe form of, or include, or be implemented on, or hosted by, a physicalcomputing device, one example of which is denoted at 1J. Part, or all,of the physical computing device 1J may comprise an element of a drone.

In the example of FIG. 32 , the physical computing device 1J includes amemory which may include one, some, or all, of random access memory(RAM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), read-only memory(ROM), and persistent memory, one or more hardware processors,non-transitory storage media, UI device/port, and data storage. One ormore of the memory components of the physical computing device 1J maytake the form of solid-state device (SSD) storage. As well, one or moreapplications may be provided that comprise instructions executable byone or more hardware processors to perform any of the operations, orportions thereof, disclosed herein. Such executable instructions maytake various forms including, for example, instructions executable toperform any method, process, or portion of these, disclosed herein.

E. Further Aspects and Example Embodiments

Following are some further example aspects and embodiments of theinvention. These are presented only by way of example and are notintended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Embodiments of a drone may include additional or alternative sensors tothose disclosed elsewhere herein. Example sensors include, but are notlimited to, any sensor configured to detect and report on any aspect ofan operating environment of the drone. Thus, such sensors may beoperable to detect various physical, electrical, and/or other parametersof an operating environment including, but not limited to, the presenceof, and/or changes in, position of the drone, gases, fluids, sound,temperature, pressure, humidity, and particulate concentration. Othersensors and devices that may be employed in embodiments of a droneinclude, but are not limited to, lights, radio transmitters, radioreceivers, GPS receivers, video cameras, still cameras, microphones,optical transmitters, optical receivers/detectors, hydrophones, rotaryoptical encoders, ultrasonic transmitters/receivers, and/or, magneticand electromagnetic field detectors. Any sensor or device may beconfigured to transmit information concerning measurements made by thatsensor or device. In some embodiments, the drone may be equipped toacoustically communicate, such as by sonar or similar techniques, withother tools, systems, and devices, downhole in the wellbore. Thesecommunications may be monitored and/or controlled from the surface, insome embodiments.

F. Aspects of Some Example Use Cases

One example use case concerns production logging. In general, productionlogging may be used to measure and interpret fluids, their properties,flow rates, and perforation efficiency to help operators increasewellbore and reservoir efficiencies. The well intervention drone may bedeployed in the well by wireline or other methods of deployment inaddition to self-deployment. Once the well intervention drone reachesits designated depth, it may self-propel itself up hole. Whileself-propelling, the well intervention drone may utilize its sensors aswell as other techniques of interpretation to measure temperatures,pressures, fluid properties, fluid flow rates, as well as perforationefficiencies, and any and all data requested for retrieval. All the datagathered during the production log may be stored in a data acquisitionsystem. This operation can be performed on producing wells,non-producing wells, and enhanced oil and gas recovery wells.

Another example use case concerns downhole wellbore data collection preand post frac. This operation of downhole wellbore data collection mayalso take place during the frac'ing process while the drone isstationary. While stationary, data may be collected from each side ofthe sealing and isolation element providing a direct representation ofwellbore activity pre, during and post frac. Data is also collectedwhile propelling from stage to stage across the perforated and frac'dsections of the wellbore beginning at the furthest most depth of thewellbore. Data collection may include but not be limited to pressures,temperatures, flow rates, detection of harmful gasses, perforationorientation and depth.

Another example use case concerns pressure and casing integrity testing.Pressure and casing integrity testing may be performed in the wellboreto ensure the mechanical integrity of the casing. The well interventiondrone may utilize its WIE (Module B) and hydraulic slips (Module C) toposition itself in the designated area for testing. Fluids and/or fluidmixtures may be pumped against the drone to ensure that thecasing/wellbore is not leaking. The drone may also self-propelthroughout the designated area utilizing its sensors and othertechniques of measurement to ensure that no corrosion, burst casing, orother mechanical issues with the casing/wellbore have taken place.

A further example use case concerns caliper measuring. Caliper measuringmay be performed to measure the size and shape of the wellbore. The wellintervention drone may be deployed in the well by wireline or othermethods of deployment in addition to self-deployment. Once the wellintervention drone reaches its designated depth, it may self-propelitself uphole. While self-propelling itself uphole, the wellintervention drone may utilize its sensors to measure the shape and sizeof the wellbore as well as examine, log, and report on, any wellboredeformation. This data may be stored in a data acquisition system of thedrone for later retrieval and analysis. In some embodiments, the dronemay report this data in real time to another autonomous device, whichmay or may not be deployed in a wellbore, and/or to surface operators.

Another example use case concerns secondary sand and debris clean out.Secondary sand clean outs may be performed with coil tubing by injectingthe coil tubing downhole with a bottom hole assembly consisting of awater nozzle or other milling apparatus connected to the downhole end ofthe coil. Fluid may be pumped through the coil tubing and out thedownhole assembly to circulate and displace sand. The well interventiondrone may be assembled with a milling head or other style of apparatusfor displacing sand. This assembly may be deployed either byself-propulsion, wireline, or other methods of deployment to thedesignated area within the wellbore. Once the designated area isreached, fluid may be pumped against the well intervention drone causingthe milling head to agitate in the wellbore. The fluid, as well as thewell intervention drone power and driving mechanism, will self-propelthe drone downhole while agitating the wellbore and displacing andmilling sand. The well intervention drone may perform this operationthroughout the wellbore until reaching the total depth of the well. Oncethe sand has been cleaned from the wellbore and the drone has finishedits operation, the drone may self-propel back up the wellbore and beretrieved or exit the wellbore on its own.

Another illustrative example of a use case concerns water jetperforation. An additional module may be added to the well interventiondrone to allow the drone to perforate the casing. An embodiment of anexample module is shown in FIGS. 33 and 34 . This module may comprise,for example, a water and sand mixture inlet (1K), a series of pumps(2K), a series of inlet valves (3K), a series of pressurized water/sandperforation nozzles (4K), a series of pressure/flow rate sensors (5K),and a series of nozzle valves (6K). With particular reference to FIG. 33, the water/sand mixture may be pumped from the surface and enter thebody of the water jet perforation section through the inlet 1K. Thishigh pressure mixture of fluid may then used to create perforations inthe casing with assemblies that may involve some or all of thecomponents labeled 2K, 3K, 4K, 5K, and 6K.

Particularly, the pump 2K, may be used to increase the pressure of thealready pressurized fluid mixture. This pressurized fluid mixture maythen be directed through the perforation nozzle 4K, which has a reducinginner diameter which further increases pressure and directs fluid flow.As the high pressure fluid flows through 4K, it will then cut/perforatethe wellbore casing, the concrete, and the formation around thewellbore. The pressure/flow rate sensor 5K may be configured with a timerelay. Once the flow rate and pressure begin to drop, the pressure/flowrate sensor 5K may indicate, by a pressure drop/differential, a positiveperforation. The time relay may be set to a specific time to send aswitch signal to the valve 3K to open, and for valve 6K to close. Oncethe uphole assembly has successfully perforated the casing, the nextdownhole assembly may be activated to begin perforating the wellbore.This perforation module may be arranged in various configurations withvarious lengths and numbers of perforating sections, not confined to thesix assemblies shown in FIG. 33 .

Fishing — this method can either be operated through self propulsion orby being tethered to equipment on the surface. By use of cameras orother optical devices, the drone can identify the object to be fished orretrieved from the well. The drone can also be equipped with a fishingor retrieval tool to latch on to the object to be fished. The drone canalso be equipped with such devices that will prepare the object forfishing.

Conveying—including but not limited to wireline, fiber optic or othertools and devices throughout but not limited to the lateral sections ofthe wellbore.

Embodiment 1. An apparatus, comprising: a body; a propulsion systemconfigured to move the body in a forward direction and in a reversedirection; and a reusable sealing and isolation element connected to thebody and configured to be deployed so as to selectively seal and isolatesections or stages in a wellbore when the apparatus is disposed in thewellbore.

Embodiment 2. The apparatus as recited in embodiment 1, wherein theapparatus comprises an autonomous drone.

Embodiment 3. The apparatus as recited in any of embodiments 1-2,wherein the propulsion system comprises: a power source; one or moreextendible/retractable propulsion systems, wherein one of the propulsionsystems comprises a motor and one or more wheels disposed on an outerportion of the body; and a gear box that connects the motor to thewheels.

Embodiment 4. The apparatus as recited in embodiment 3, wherein thepower source comprises one or more rechargeable batteries configured tobe wirelessly charged downhole.

Embodiment 5. The apparatus as recited in embodiment 3, wherein thepower source comprises rechargeable batteries.

Embodiment 6. The apparatus as recited in any of embodiments 1-5,wherein the apparatus is self-propelled.

Embodiment 7. The apparatus as recited in any of embodiments 1-6,wherein the body is articulated.

Embodiment 8. The apparatus as recited in any of embodiments 1-7,further comprising one or more hardware processors and non-transitorystorage media carrying instructions that are executable by the one ormore hardware processors to cause the seal to expand and retractaccording to a specified schedule.

Embodiment 9. The apparatus as recited in any of embodiments 1-8,wherein the reusable sealing and isolation element comprises a sealconfigured to assume an expanded state and a retracted state, and whenthe seal is in the expanded state in the wellbore, the seal isolatessections within the wellbore such that fluid in the wellbore cannot passby the apparatus.

Embodiment 10. The apparatus as recited in any of embodiments 1-9,wherein no portion of the reusable sealing and isolation element remainspermanently in the wellbore.

Embodiment 11. The apparatus as recited in any of embodiments 1-10,wherein the apparatus is operable to autonomously deploy the reusablesealing and isolation element.

Embodiment 12. A method, comprising: temporarily sealing and isolating aportion of a wellbore with a reusable sealing and isolation element; andunsealing or de-isolating the portion of the wellbore by temporarilychanging a configuration of the reusable sealing and isolation element.

Embodiment 13. The method as recited in embodiment 12, wherein themethod is performed autonomously by a drone.

Embodiment 14. The method as recited in any of embodiments 12-13,further comprising moving the entire reusable sealing and isolationelement to another location in the wellbore, and isolating the wellboreat another location with the reusable sealing and isolation element.

Embodiment 15. The method as recited in any of embodiments 12-14,wherein temporarily sealing and isolating a portion of the wellbore withthe reusable sealing and isolation element, comprises temporarilychanging the configuration of the reusable sealing and isolation elementrelative to a configuration of the reusable sealing and isolationelement when the wellbore is sealed and isolated with the reusablesealing and isolation element.

Embodiment 16. The method as recited in any of embodiments 12-15,wherein after the wellbore is de-isolated, no post-remediation of thereusable sealing and isolation element is required at the site where thereusable sealing and isolation element had been positioned.

Embodiment 17. The method as recited in any of embodiments 12-16,wherein the well intervention drone comprises a perforating moduleoperable to perforate the wellbore.

Embodiment 18. The method as recited in any of embodiments 12-17,wherein the well intervention drone autonomously mitigates sand anddebris screen outs.

Embodiment 19. The method as recited in any of embodiments 12-18,further comprising wirelessly charging a battery of the drone while thedrone is in a wellbore.

Embodiment 20. A method, comprising: deploying a drone to a downholelocation; and using the drone to collect data uphole and/or downhole ofa sealing and isolation element while the sealing and isolation elementis engaged with the drone and/or disengaged from the drone.

Embodiment 21. The method as recited in embodiment 20, where datacollection is performed pre-frac, during frac, and/or post-frac.

Embodiment 22. The method as recited in any of embodiments 20-21, wherethe data collected comprises data about a wellbore environment, wellboreconditions, and/or, wellbore activity.

Embodiment 23. The method as recited in any of embodiments 20-22,wherein the data is collected autonomously by the drone.

Embodiment 24. The method as recited in any of embodiments 20-23,wherein the data is collected while the drone is unconnected to thesurface or equipment on the surface.

Embodiment 25. The method as recited in any of embodiments 20-24,wherein data collection is performed autonomously by the drone, and thedata collection begins when the drone is at its deepest location in awell, and data collection continues at least part of a time during whichthe drone propels away from the deepest location.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicatedby the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: temporarily sealing andisolating a portion of a wellbore with a reusable sealing and isolationelement; performing a fracturing process in the portion of the wellborethat is isolated; and after the fracturing process is complete,unsealing or de-isolating the portion of the wellbore by temporarilychanging a configuration of the reusable sealing and isolation element.2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method is performedautonomously by a well intervention drone.
 3. The method as recited inclaim 2, wherein the well intervention drone comprises a perforatingmodule that performs the fracturing process.
 4. The method as recited inclaim 2, wherein the well intervention drone autonomously mitigates sandand debris screen outs.
 5. The method as recited in claim 2, furthercomprising wirelessly charging a battery of the well intervention dronewhile the well intervention drone is in the wellbore.
 6. The method asrecited in claim 2, wherein the well intervention drone, whilepositioned in the wellbore, gathers data before, during, and/or, after,the fracturing process.
 7. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein thewell intervention drone, while positioned in the wellbore, communicatesdata to a surface location.
 8. The method as recited in claim 1, furthercomprising moving the entire reusable sealing and isolation element toanother location in the wellbore, and isolating the wellbore at anotherlocation with the reusable sealing and isolation element.
 9. The methodas recited in claim 1, wherein temporarily sealing and isolating aportion of the wellbore with the reusable sealing and isolation element,comprises temporarily changing the configuration of the reusable sealingand isolation element relative to a configuration of the reusablesealing and isolation element when the wellbore is sealed and isolatedwith the reusable sealing and isolation element.
 10. The method asrecited in claim 1, wherein after the wellbore is de-isolated, nopost-remediation of the reusable sealing and isolation element isrequired at the site where the reusable sealing and isolation elementhad been positioned.
 11. A method, comprising: deploying a wellintervention drone to a downhole location; and using the wellintervention drone to collect data uphole and/or downhole of a reusablesealing and isolation element while the reusable sealing and isolationelement is engaged with the drone and/or disengaged from the drone. 12.The method as recited in claim 11, where data collection is performedpre-frac, during frac, and/or post-frac.
 13. The method as recited inclaim 11, where the data collected comprises data about a wellboreenvironment, wellbore conditions, and/or, wellbore activity.
 14. Themethod as recited in claim 11, wherein the data is collectedautonomously by the well intervention drone.
 15. The method as recitedin claim 11, wherein the data is collected while the well interventiondrone is unconnected to the surface or equipment on the surface.
 16. Themethod as recited in claim 11, wherein data collection is performedautonomously by the well intervention drone, and the data collectionbegins when the well intervention drone is at its deepest location in awell, and data collection continues at least part of a time during whichthe well intervention drone moves away from the deepest location.